Improvement in thill-couplings



C. 8'. SAN FOBD. ThiH-Couplings.

Patented Dec.22,1874.

IN VENTOR Q S\ S 1% y A ttor-neys.

J TATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CLARK S. SANFORD, OF LENA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HALF HIS RIGHT TO WILLIAM RICE, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

IMPRGVEMENT IN THILL-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 157,974, dated December 22, 1874; application tiled May 5, 1874. I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, CLARK S. SANFORD, of Lena, in the county of Stephenson and in the- State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings and do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specication.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a thill-coupling, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in Wlll01l -Figure 1 is a perspective View of my thillcoupling, and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same.

A represents the front axle of a vehicle, to the under side of which is fastened a plate, B, by means of an ordinary clip, C. At the front end of the plate B is formed a box, D, which is open at the front, and have ears a a projecting forward, one from each side. The front part of the clip C passes through the box D, as shown in Fig. 2, and in said box is inserted a rubber block, E. The rubber is kept securely in place by the box being capped or closed at the top as well as on all sides except the front, thereby preventing the rubber from breaking in two, as is often the case in the old form of thin-couplings where rubber is used. G represents a metallic socket provided with an ear or projection, b, which is inserted between the ears a a, and pressed against the rubber E, and secured by a bolt, (1. This socket is not to be removed when the pole or thills are adjusted or changed, and the hole or mortise in the same may be round, square, oblong, or any other suitable shape to receive the thill-iron H attached to the pole or thills, and which is fastened by a set-screw, h, in the socket; and to make it still more secure, a hole is made in the lower end of the thill-iron H, and a key, 5, of leather or other suitable material is passed through said hole. A loop, m, is formed on or attached to the socket G, to receive a strap which may be put through another loop on the under side of the thills 0r pole, and buckled up tight, thus making it perfectly secure. The strap being attached to the socket, and the jointbeing beyond, it will be seen that when the thills or pole are raised or lowered, it does not loosen or tighten the strap, therefore there is no danger of the thills or pole lifting out, even if the set'screw should not be tight or the key not be in.

When the horse is hitched in the thills, the thill-iron H will stand nearly perpendicular, as the thills are to be bent to bring the draft fiatwise on the iron.

. The mortised block or socket G may be used I April, 1874.

CLARK S. SANFORD. Witnesses:

SAML. J. Donns, J. M. SGHERMERHORN. 

